$2,500 Giveaway

The Gazette, Colorado Springs, will have a Coutura Design insert in this weekend's paper. Visit Coutura Design between February 7 - February 21, get a stamp from each showroom, and you can then enter to win $2,500 worth of product from the Coutura vendors.

$2,500 could get you...new kitchen drawer pulls or bathroom vanities and countertops from Complete Kitchens, some cool light fixtures from Austin Bluffs Lighting, a flat-screen HDTV from Home Run Electronics, new tile for your shower from Rustic Flooring, or many other exciting options.

Hope you can join us!

Before and After

Cabinetry: MidContinent
Door Style: Copenhagen
Stain: Fireside

Kitchen Design and installation by Complete Kitchens

Kitchen renovations

What should be the priority in considering a kitchen remodel? Many people have the urge to upgrade just their countertops to give their kitchen an updated look - less invasive and (perhaps) less expensive than new cabinetry. But here are some things to consider before putting in a new granite countertop over your existing cabinetry:

• A new countertop will constrain your ability to alter your kitchen layout to match the needs of your family and design trends
  
  
• Countertops are difficult to reuse in a new kitchen layout
  
  
• In terms of resale value, you will probably get more value from being able to sell your house with a "new kitchen cabinets" rather than just a "new countertop"
  

I suggest you start your remodel or upgrade by developing a wish-list for how much you want to spend on updating/remodeling your kitchen, defining what you don't like about your current kitchen, and determining what is most important to have in your new kitchen. The designers at Complete Kitchens can try to achieve the goals on your list with respect for your budget.

What it might be for, Part I

Cooking. Here are some of our favorite cookbooks:

The Joy of Cooking, by the Joy Family. Traditional, tried-and-true, reliable, makes a great wedding gift.


How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. Good for the beginner-intermediate cook, innovative, reliable. Also makes a good wedding gift or family heirloom.

Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, by Lorna Sass. The recipes in this book are easy, delicious, colorful, and healthy. If you don't have a pressure cooker, get one! And it works even better on an induction cooktop.

The websites for each of these books have recipes you can try-before-you buy. Have fun!

Do you have ESP?

What does "going green" in the kitchen mean to you? It might mean using organic and/or locally grown produce, using environmentally-friendly cleaners, and recycling containers and using canvas bags for groceries.

For manufacturers and suppliers of cabinetry, going green means committing to the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) standards set by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA). The program standards allow cabinet manufacturers follow environmentally sustainable practices. The ESP certification not only allows consumers to know that they are purchasing products that have less impact on the environment, but also that their money is going to environmentally-friendly companies. The KCMA-ESP certification sets standards for product and process resource management, air quality, environmental stewardship, and community relations. Look for this logo to indicate ESP certification


Complete Kitchens carries several KCMA-ESP cabinetry lines, including Mid Continent, Dura Supreme, Grandview, and Showplace. Showplace is featuring cabinets made from a beautiful and sustainable hardwood, Lyptus. Showplace is offering cash rebates, so we invite you to come in and learn more about the Lyptus products or other ESP-certified cabinetry available for your home.

Exquisite Handmade Cabinetry Goes Local

Custom cabinetry is one of the finer things in life! DS Wood designs and makes custom cabinetry for homes across Colorado. And because they are local to Colorado Springs, they offer the ability to provide outstanding customer service and a hand-tailored experience when working on layouts, design, and installation. The styles vary from traditional to highly modern. Complete Kitchens is proud to commit a substantial part of its showroom to DS Wood cabinetry. Craig at Complete Kitchens is an expert in DS Woods' cabinets, and will provide you with an outstanding design and selection experience. If you are partial to contemporary design, you might covet the "green" kitchen at Complete Kitchens that mirrors many high-end European lines of cabinetry. If you don't like green, you could order it with a choice of many other colors and finishes. Couple it with some fun light fixtures from Austin Bluffs Lighting and a convection cook-top, and your kitchen will be the favorite spot in the house.

You can view more traditional styles, including DS Wood's characteristic inset beading, at Complete Kitchens' showroom at Coutura Design Inspirations, online at http://dswood.com, and on the slide show in this blog.

Eco-Friendly Countertops, Part 1

With so many eco-friendly choices in building materials, now is a great time to consider buying new countertops. Complete Kitchens is featuring some really attractive and eco-friendly countertops. Many have between 50-75% post-consumer recycled materials, and others contain sustainable woods, such as bamboo.

One type of countertop that falls within the eco-friendly is Squak Mountain Stone, carried by Complete Kitchens at Coutura Design Inspirations in Colorado Springs. Squak Mountain Stone is a fibrous-cement material comprised of approximately 45% post-consumer materials, including recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement. In some pieces you can even see lettering on the paper (eclectic!). The material is hand-cast into slabs and tiles as an alternative to natural or quarried stone. The look of the manufactured surface resembles soapstone or limestones. It is stain-resistant once a sealant is added and it is very durable. They recommend not cutting directly on the surface because it will dull your knives.

Photos courtesy of www.squakmountainstone.com